Westwood

Updated 30 December 2020

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 14 December 2020 and was unannounced.

Updated 30 December 2020

About the service: Westwood is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. This service supports older people. At the time of the inspection there were 73 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

• The provider met the characteristics of ‘Good’ in all areas. This has improved from a rating of ‘Requires Improvement’ at the last inspection in 2017. More information about this is in the full report.

• The risks to people’s health and safety were fully reflected in the care they received. People were protected by staff who understood how to protect them from avoidable harm. There were enough staff in place to keep people safe.

People’s medicines were well managed and staff understood how to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. The registered manager and the provider worked in partnership to learn from mistakes. This included the detailed analysis of accidents and incidents.

• Staff training was up to date; action had been taken to address some gaps in the frequency of staff supervisions. People were provided with care and support which protected them from discrimination. People received the support they needed to maintain a healthy diet. People had access to other health and social care agencies where needed. People were supported to make decisions about their care, the provider ensured these were made in accordance with appropriate legislation.

• People liked the staff and found them to be kind and caring. People were treated with dignity and respect. People felt involved with decisions and that staff respected their wishes. People’s records were stored securely to protect their privacy.

• People had their needs assessed prior to coming to live at the home to ensure they could be cared for safely and effectively. People’s personal preferences were considered when care was planned. People had access to information in a format they could understand. Complaints were handled appropriately and line with the provider’s complaints policy. People did not currently receive end of life care but people had discussed their wishes with staff if they had any personal preferences.

• Staff enjoyed working at the service and felt respected and valued. People could give their views about how the service could develop and improve. The provider’s quality assurance processes were effective in identifying potential risks to people’s safety. There was a continued focus on learning, development and improvement.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated as Requires Improvement (23 and 24 August 2017).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor this service and will return within the next 30 months if we are satisfied that there are no serious risks at the service during this time.